


Arranged Blessings

by SillyBlue



Series: Naga Verse [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Dean Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angel Castiel, Arranged Marriage, Creature Dean, Cultural Differences, Embarrassed Dean, M/M, Mating Rituals, Naga Dean, Omega Castiel, Omega Castiel/Alpha Dean Winchester, Prince Castiel, Prince Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-13 07:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11179848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SillyBlue/pseuds/SillyBlue
Summary: Dean and Castiel move into the matrimonial palace in Winchester. Married and finally as settled as they can be, they have to figure out what married life for them. Because even though this marriage was arranged, Dean's family clearly has expectations that come as a surprise to both of them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Third part in the [Naga Dean series](http://archiveofourown.org/series/671813), following immediately after part two! 
> 
> I think there will be two chapters, possibly three.

Castiel sent a prayer of gratitude up to the Heavens when the weather blessedly cooled down. Kansas forest sprawled all around him, deep and dark. But they had clearly left the humid heat behind them. Here ancient trees rose on huge trunks that had seen many generations leave their marks on them. Little light fell on the travelers, as they moved across the old stones of the well-maintained street. The air was fragrant, but no overwhelming scent of baked ground, jarring mix of blooming flowers, and too ripe fruit assaulted Castiel's nose. Instead he picked out rich earth, fresh water, flowery scents that were sweet as orange blossom honey and Dean's juniper scent that Castiel knew to come from the scale polishing oil Dean favored.

Dean's victorious shout called Castiel out of his daydreaming and he looked up to his husband. Dean grinned down at him and then pointed towards an arch of sparkling glass orbs just up ahead that connected one side of the road to the opposite.

"We're now officially in Lawrence!" he exclaimed and Castiel lifted his head up high to study the gleaming orbs as they reflected the sparse light that shone through the tree tops. Right after the border where huge pillars that were carved into the forms of snakes winding up. In every other loop there were small trinkets that reflected the light or scraps of fluttering fabric. The poles accompanied them for a while, the snake faces staring down at Castiel with wide eyes and exposed fangs, almost as if they wanted to chase him away. But the weathered sculptures became meeker the further they traveled until the snakes seemed to completely blend into the trees and then disappeared. To watch Castiel from the shadows, unseen but alert. Castiel shook his head at his fantasy. They were just sculptures. But there was something out there and overhead. It looked like there were structures built into the trees and every once and again something seemed to move or there was a flash of light. It was unnerving, but Castiel's husband was quietly happy so Castiel assumed he had nothing to fear.

"We changed capitals about 30 years ago. After the war," Dean's voice cut through Castiel's glaring into the trees overhead. "The new capital used to be the main place of worship for centuries. You'll see all the temples when we get there. But Lawrence isn't the main mythic center. It's just one of the seats of the Great Snake." Castiel wasn't sure what to make with this information but judging from Dean's tone of voice this was somewhat important.

"I don't know much about your religious practices," Castiel confessed for lack of a better answer and looked away from Dean to study the side of the road. Small stone shrines had replaced the huge pillars. Every couple of meters there was another stone with snake carvings, some of them rather crude and simple, others elaborate. Every tree seemed to have things painted on or cut into them. "You apparently worship a great snake," he said and Dean had to laugh at that.

"How could you tell!" he joked and Castiel shot him a small smile.

"It makes perfect sense that you worship a snake, considering that you are part snake. Or part human. I don't know what you think about that."

"Neither, actually? I'm a Naga. Though if you had to pin it down to either or I'd say I'm human, with some snake improvements. I'm not a snake just as you aren't a bird." Dean winked at him, but then his eyes travelled over Castiel's body, expression pensive. "What about you angels? Do you worship the Great Shadow?" Castiel looked up at him in surprise.

"That sounds ominous," he confessed and Dean huffed a laugh. "Is that a god in Naga mythology that is connected to my race?" Dean nodded and then he pointed towards a tree that was covered in chalky white paint that showed a snake wrapped around some indistinguishable shape with feathers.

"The Great Shadow is the ruler of the sky. She's a winged beast," he explained and Castiel shook his head at that. "Hm! Well, according to legend, the winged beast lives in one of the world trees that hold up the sky. After a fight with the Great Snake she retreated to her aerie to tend to her wounds. Her blood and anger at the Great Snake seeped into the fruit of the tree. Out of the fruit came the angels to help punish the Great Snake and the Naga." That was the first time Castiel had heard the Naga's creation myth for angels. Compared to their own creation myth, this sounded rather ludicrous, but that was to be expected. Since angels had lived very secluded lives for millennia, it was no surprise that other races on this continent had different ideas about them.

"That sounds rather dreadful. To be born of hatred with only the purpose to destroy you," Castiel told Dean and his husband's face went from relaxed to alarmed.

"I don't… I didn't mean to say you were. It's just tales and legends, Castiel," Dean tried to say, bending low to get closer to Castiel's eyelevel. "Just how you think that snakes and your kind are locked into a never-ending battle, always out to destroy each other. Those are just spooky superstitions. Sadly, also beliefs that had been used to justify wars. But it's nonsense."

"Maybe, but we're going to live in one of the religious capitals of your country," Castiel reminded him, which made Dean look at him with a sober expression. "But I am willing to face the challenges," Castiel added and that got Dean's face to brighten a bit.

"So, if your god is not the Great Shadow, who or what are they?" Dean wanted to know after they had walked in silence for a while. There were now other Naga around, coming out of the trees to see the procession of wagons. There were low houses built between the trees and platforms and tree houses above Castiel's head.

"We believe in one God who created everything. He created you and he created me. He created all that is light but also all that is dark," Castiel explained.

"Mighty busy dude, isn't he?" Dean asked, then he looked down at Castiel. "Will you have to worship? I have to warn you, because I'm not really religious. I go along with traditions because I've been living here so long and it rubs off on you." Castiel shook his head.

"I'll be fine. We can offer our prayers to God whenever, however and wherever we want," Castiel said easily to soothe the worried look on Dean's face. Dean seemed appeased by that, his attention quickly straying to tell Castiel about the old town they were passing through. Castiel listened half-heartedly, because the previous conversation reminded him of the blessings and wedding festivities he had missed. It was bad luck for a bride, but there had been no sense in trying to force the Naga to stay long enough to go through with them. Dean and he wouldn't be having children, so what point was there in thinking about it? None. And wedding festivities didn't guarantee happiness, Castiel knew that. He also knew that he could be happy with Dean and that was all that mattered to him now.

* * *

 

People quickly gathered when they heard about the royal family passing. Nobody came too close, keeping a respectful distance at the end of the road, but everyone was talking and some were pointing. The Naga here looked pretty much like the ones in Hagar had but their clothes seemed to be more elaborate. Rich fabrics decorated their bodies, covering up more of their human bodies than the Naga in Hagar had. It was cooler here, so Castiel could understand why they would invest in more clothing. The old town of Lawrence was built directly into the forest, with the main road cutting through the settlement.

"You okay, Castiel?" Dean asked as they continued their slow way through the forest.

"Of course," Castiel answered promptly. "We're still in the old town?" Dean nodded.

"Yes. It was built at the outskirts of the holy ground, at a respectable distance away from the temples build around the seat of the Great Snake. My family has some residences here in the outskirts too. But considering your dislike of the darkness I think the matrimonial palace was the right choice for us."

"Would you have preferred to live here instead?" Castiel wondered, looking around the settlement. It wasn't entirely dark here but Castiel wasn't unhappy to not have to live here.

"I'm not sure," Dean confessed. "The palace will be big and quiet. I haven't lived in it and neither has anybody else. They built it after I was born, intending it to be my future house. Once I become king we are supposed to move out of it and into the main palace. But this is decades away, hopefully." Castiel shot him a smile. "Maybe it's good that we both have to start at zero. So you don't have to carve out a place in a house that's already mine. We both can build it into a home for us. Does that sound good?"

"That sounds perfect, thank you Dean," Castiel told him earnestly and for some reason Dean blushed and ducked his head.

"Sure," he muttered. Castiel couldn't help smiling either. Dean was sweet and he cared and Castiel was eternally grateful that God had guided Dean onto his path.

The wagon in front of them stopped and Dean put his hand on Castiel's shoulder to stop him. Castiel watched how Dean rose up higher to look over the wagon. When he grinned, Castiel allowed himself to relax. "We're almost here," Dean announced and Castiel nodded. He looked past the wagon and saw that the road ahead open up, the forest thinning. He saw blue sky, not a cloud in sight.

They continued after a moment and the closer they got the noisier it became; there were people cheering and there even was music. Castiel tensed at that. Would this be a public reception? He quickly put his hands to his hair, knowing that his braids weren't as tight anymore. And his clothes were simple to account for the travelling and the warmth of the air.

"Why are you fretting?" Dean asked when Castiel jumped onto the back of their wagon and disappeared inside. "Hey?" Castiel was too busy trying to find something in his small travelling trunk. Why was most of it filled with food? Weren't a mirror and a comb somewhere? Or at least some pearls, maybe his modest travelling diadem. Castiel gave a start when he felt Dean's fingers close around his ankle. "What's the matter?" Castiel pulled at his shirt, made of a light blue cotton. He wasn't vain at all, but he had a public role to fulfill and that meant that he had to look presentable. How was plain cotton presentable?

"What will your people think if they see me disheveled and covered in sweat?" Castiel asked and pulled his foot out of Dean's hand. Dean heaved part of his body up on the platform of their wagon, but only moved his upper body into the wagon itself. How comical must it look for Dean's lower half to just be dangling out, the feathered end of his tail dragging along the ground? Castiel snorted at the mental image, but covered it with a cough and turned back to the task at hand. He wiped the sweat off his face with a small towel. His diadem was in the other carriage, with most of his things. All he had here were travelling and sleep clothes.

"Honestly? They probably would feel sorry for us if you weren't disheveled and covered in sweat," Dean commented and moved to open on of the drawers, pulling more of his body inside in the process. Castiel frowned and looked at him over his hand mirror.

"Why?" he asked and Dean snorted.

"We're newlyweds, Castiel."

"What does- Oh," he said, realization dawning on him. "You mean sex. A wagon is hardly big enough for someone of your bulk." Dean laughed and pulled something out of the drawer. It was a deep blue fabric with pale gold patterns.

"You can wear this if you want," Dean offered. Castiel studied the fabric; it was clearly expensive and well-made. It would have to do. He pulled the item – Castiel wasn't sure if it was a short gown or a jacket - onto his arms and closed the latch at the throat. Due to its size, it exposed his collar bones and his shoulders but then opened up in the front. Castiel got his regular sash out of the box and wrapped it around his middle. The gown was slightly short like this, showing almost all of his legs and when he moved his undergarments would probably be visible. But he didn't care about that. Since Naga had no legs, they shouldn't be scandalized to see his underwear.

While Castiel got himself presentable, Dean was calmly watching him. He apparently didn't care to put on any other clothes. He probably also didn't have to. He was effortlessly handsome and always looked regal. Castiel was almost annoyed at him for it. He finished fixing his hair and then he was ready to face the people. Just in time as well since the forest opened up and he was greeted by bright light and the cheers of people. Castiel got down the wagon, the ground smooth under his feet. Fortified walls rose just behind them, the gate wide open. There were guards on the wall, leaning on the stone to look down. The street just after the gate was spacious and continued in a straight line, with big buildings rising on both sides. Everything was decorated with flowers.

Dean held out his hand, almost swatting Cas in his face, but Castiel took it nevertheless, feeling like a child being led by his parent due to their difference in size. People were watching them, even as Dean waved. Most of them were wearing crowns made of flowers and there was a girl who waved her arms, holding crowns in her hands. Dean left Castiel's side to bend down to her and get the crowns. He came back to Castiel's side with a big grin and dropped one of them on Castiel's head and then put the smaller one on his own.

"The flower decorations are to welcome you," Dean explained. Castiel rearranged the crown on his head and looked around. Everyone was so tall. Everything was tall.

"Maybe I should be riding my horse," he said quietly, but he still held his head high.

"Yeah, people are surprised about your size. You don't want me to carry you, do you?" Dean asked.

"No, thank you," Castiel answered quickly. He knew that Dean probably meant well, but being carried through the streets like a prize or a small child was not something that Castiel wanted to experience.

Other than Hagar the capital of Winchester was big. The streets were wide and sprawling, three to four villas placed next to each other before another side street crossed the main one. The road rose slightly towards a hill and as they walked their procession got smaller as servants and carriages were diverted.

"Don't worry," Dean said, somehow picking up on Castiel's slight distress. But Castiel couldn't help worrying. What if he wasn't welcome here? Like Gordon said? "Come on, everyone wants you here. Lawrence is the academic and cultural elite of Naga land. People here have never seen much of the war. It's polite society."

"Maybe, but Dean…"

"No buts here, husband," Dean insisted, "You're angelic royalty. They will appreciate that. And it's peace now, thanks to us as well." Dean stopped Castiel and turned him around. He lowered himself down until they were on eye-level. "You are welcome here." Castiel studied his face and he saw that Dean was serious and that he believed in what he has said.

"I understand," Castiel said and Dean nodded at him, slowly. "I understand," Castiel repeated. "Thank you."

"Yeah, don't thank me. You'll see that I'm right. You'll meet Sam soon. My brother is the perfect example of an academic from polite society. He will probably be embarrassing himself with his gushing over you. So don't think too badly of him," Dean said with a grin. Castiel smiled at him, still unsure, but at least hearted by Dean's words.

"Why didn't Sam join you in picking me up?" Castiel wondered but now it was up to Dean to fall into a bit of an embarrassed silence. "Dean?"

"It wouldn't have been wise to send every member of the royal family into a land that we had no stable political relationship with. If we had been ambushed then the royal family would have been wiped out. So Sam stayed behind as the second in line for the throne."

"Oh. I admit that makes sense," Castiel said and watched the relief show on Dean's face.

"I'm glad that you aren't angry about the potential slight. Sam would have loved to come, but he can tell you that himself as soon as we meet him," Dean told him.

"Of course I won't be angry at that. It's prudent. Unexpected things can always happen," Castiel said and continued to study the city around him. Dean let him look his fill as they marched on, Dean at a very leisurely pace because Castiel was so slow.

"I'm gonna give you the great tour of the city later," Dean promised, "but to be honest I haven't really been here for more than a couple of days a year." That feeling was familiar to Castiel. He spent many months away from the royal city, holed up in Rain's Landing or at the court of one of his relatives. Home had always been a bit of an unclear term for Castiel.

"How do you feel about coming back?" Castiel asked and his husband seemed taken aback by the question. He frowned, then he lifted his head as if in deep thought.

 "Honestly? It's weird. I thought I'd continue to be part of the army. I feel that would suit me better than married life," he confessed and then he looked down at Castiel. "I doubt you would like to be a soldier's wife. Husband I mean." Dean shook his head. "Besides, it would be disrespectful to an omega to continue on my service, especially since we're officially in a period of peace now." Castiel wasn't sure what to retort to that. He didn't know what having a soldier as a husband meant for a Naga. Dean put his hand on Castiel's shoulder again, bending low enough that his cheek brushed Castiel's flower crown. Castiel was surprised to find his face so close when he looked up. "You're now part of my family, Castiel. I want you to feel good and welcome. And that's easier here than it is on the outskirts where there are warriors and people less friendly about angels." Dean seemed earnest, but it wasn't hard for Castiel to spot the faintest hints of regret on his husband's face. And Castiel understood that. He too had made sacrifices in order to come here. Rain's Landing was lost to him and that, for some reason, caused more melancholy than the fact that it would be long before he saw his family again. But there was no point in dwelling on it. Rain's Landing was in good hands with Hannah. And he couldn't be selfish and wish to govern the region even as Castiel of Winchester.

* * *

With curious eyes following them, Dean and Castiel reached what seemed to be a square of sorts at the end of the street. Another road led away to a smaller square that was blocked in by houses. Straight onwards was what Castiel assumed to be the royal palace. Many small doors probably led to the ante chambers so that guest could clean themselves. The smaller buildings closed in the square on both sides and towards the back the walls got higher and then led to the palace. Other than the buildings Castiel had seen before, this one was two stories high even, with a balcony of sorts overlooking the square. The King and Queen were close to the back and people were lining the walls, some looking out of windows at the new arrivals. Castiel expected some speech and for the king to address the people who were there, but none of that happened.

"We're expected to join them on the sun deck for coffee and juice. You'll also meet Sam there," Dean explained when a servant guided him to one of the ante rooms just off the side to the main entrance. The ante room was already dazzling in itself; providing not only benches and water to clean, but also cushioned couches and books for reading behind a purple curtain that a servant pulled to the side from outside the room. There were high windows and light streamed into the wooden area where Dean was busy cleaning. Clearly this was a sitting room for guests waiting to be received by the Queen and King. A servant brought one of Castiel's chests into the ante room and Castiel busied himself looking for something else to wear after he used the water to wash away his sweat. He carefully put aside the flower crown and the shirt Dean had given him.

"You're really serious about propriety, aren't you?" Dean said with a laugh as Castiel put on clothes which were acceptable for meeting one's brother-in-law. His mother would approve, even though Castiel was slightly uncomfortable in the skirt that had so much fabric that the cinch at his waist made the material really poof out at his hips. Proper Omega shapes, he heard the court stylist's voice. Castiel already had a pretty convenient omega figure when it got to his hips and the stylist had always tried the best to focus on his hips to make up the fact that he had no breasts. Certain styles of tops would cover that 'deficit' but Castiel had no qualms about being flat chested, as was common for men. When Castiel looked away from the mirror he found his husband openly staring at him.

"What's wrong…?" Castiel asked but Dean quickly looked away and rubbed oils on his scales until they gleamed. "I might not ever have liked ceremonial dresses, but I still must insist on following protocol. I'm here to represent angels, I cannot make a bad impression."

"You couldn't possibly make a bad impression," Dean managed to get out, his voice sounding a bit forced and Castiel wondered if maybe he didn't like his clothes, but it wasn't like he put much stock in Dean's opinion about it. If reports ever reached home, then Castiel didn't want his mother to read how he had shown up in his undergarments. "Do you want me to get properly dressed to meet my little brother too?" Castiel looked towards Dean, who was wearing nothing but a belt around his waist, a top that left nothing about his chest up to the imagination and the flower crown.

"I don't know if you're dressed or not," he finally said after the silence made Dean start to fidget under his gaze. "You're not wearing any pants. That would already be worrisome for an angel." Dean laughed uneasily at that. "Of course you have no legs, so you can't possibly wear pants. But you don't cover your hip region like I have seen most other Naga do."

"Oh…" Dean said and looked down, to where the scales were lighter and slightly raised. "Being uncovered is normal for men my age."

"Then I suppose you are dressed," Castiel summarized and Dean made a bit of a grimace.

* * *

At first glance Sam was intimidating. He got up from his bench on the sun deck the moment Dean and Castiel set foot (or scale) outside. All the Naga were tall, but he seemed to tower even over Dean. He gave his brother a firm hug, but his eyes rarely left Castiel. His hair was brown, gleaming reddish in the sun. He wore a headband adorned with feathers and even though his style of dress was similar to Dean's, Sam's wore layered skirts below his waist. His tail was a rich brown with flecks of gold and red, even some green and blue scales. It was quite mesmerizing to look at and Castiel had to remind himself not to stare. He doubted it was polite and he certainly didn't want to be considered rude.

"Sam this is Castiel, Castiel this is Sam," Dean introduced them and Sam's lips twitched, like he wasn't sure if he should go for a polite smile or a huge grin. He looked excited, but also overwhelmed and somehow much younger than both Dean and Castiel all at once. Dean wondered what the age difference between the brothers was.

"Wow, so… I'm. Pleased to meet you! And. You know."

"Sam, you're babbling," John admonished with a laugh and Sam straightened at once, almost pulling Castiel's hand up with him because he didn't think to let go at once.

"He's a bit shy," Mary stage whispered and Sam shot her an embarrassed look. "You're small and you're an omega. And we raised Sam to be a gentleman."

"It's alright, Sam. I'm much sturdier than I look," Castiel assured him and Sam shot him a smile, conveying relief and happiness.

"I can't believe that Dean got married," he said and looked towards Dean. He lowered himself on the bench so that he was closer to eyelevel to Castiel. That was odd because Naga didn't typically do that for Castiel's benefit. "Finally giving up his bachelor lifestyle and settling down!"

"You wish," Dean said with a snort that had Sam glare up at him, but within a moment he was beaming at Castiel again. "Thank you, Castiel, for bringing Dean home to us and doing this for our mutual peace. It must be a great sacrifice to marry such a slob."

"Don't overdo it," Dean warned with a hiss and Sam poked out his tongue at Dean. "We're going to be family, so don't embarrass yourself. Or myself." Sam frowned at Dean, but clearly he didn't have a rebuttal for him.

"So… Dean tells me you're an academic?" Castiel spoke up, stopping the exchange of glares between the brothers.

"Yes, though I'm not sure he meant that as a compliment," Sam said. "But I'm studying to become a lawyer for the royal court."

"Like my brother Michael," Castiel said with a smile, "it's important, good work." Sam nodded eagerly. "And are you married?"

"No, not yet," Sam told him. "It's a long process after all." Castiel wasn't sure what Sam meant by that. Of course, wedding arrangements for members of the royal family could take a while to negotiate if there were to be politically favorable.

Castiel looked towards Dean, a question at the tip of his tongue, but his husband shrugged. Apparently a long process wasn't out of the ordinary.

"It was quite different at the angelic court," Mary told Sam, "we signed a document and then we were done."

"Yeah, but there were weeks of negotiations before that too," John said and Mary hummed at that. Castiel didn't quite have the heart to tell them that traditional marriage festivities at the angelic court lasted two weeks.

"I was actually surprised that there was an unmarried omega at the angelic court," Sam continued and looked back to Castiel. "Aren't omegas usually married once they reach maturity?" Castiel was surprised to hear that and quietly wondered where Sam had picked up on such a thing.

"No, not at all," Castiel told him gently. "How is a barely adult omega supposed to run a household?" Sam looked at him in confusion, but now Dean came to the rescue.

"Omegas have a different role in angelic society," he explained. "They're the head of a family." Sam was both surprised and intrigued by that information.

"How can you manage the tasks that an alpha head of family usually manages when you are pregnant or already have children?" Sam wanted to know. Castiel had heard that line of reasoning plenty of times while Metatron had been king and he had to remind himself that Sam was probably not prejudiced like the old court had been. He was simply curious and used to things being different.

"In an ideal relationship the alpha also has his own tasks and will help raising children. Usually, an omega who is pregnant or who has children to look after has a good support network that will help them," he explained and then he looked at the Naga gathered on the sun deck. "How is it here?" Mary smiled brightly at him.

"You can look forwards to being well taken care of once you're pregnant," she said and Castiel didn't even have to look to see that his husband tensed up. "You will have absolutely nothing to worry about, no stress at all. We will all be here for you and Dean to make the experience as easy and relaxing as possible."

"Agreed," John continued. "Dean's a good guy and he'll be a good alpha to you. He will take care of you."

"And maybe now there's finally someone who takes care of Dean too! He's been pushing himself so hard with all that fighting!" Sam injected, looking at Dean with something close to reproach. Castiel turned his head towards Dean who only shrugged at him helplessly. Castiel took a deep breath, but the smile never slipped from his lips. Clearly the Winchesters were very excited that Dean and Cas were married. An uncertain look passed between Dean and Castiel. Their families had different expectations than those they had discussed during negotiations. This was bound to be… interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! ♥


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back for the next chapter! Many thanks go out to [Bella Monoxide](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bella_Monoxide/profile) for betaing this chapter!
> 
> There will be another chapter after this one! :D

After tea and some negotiation about how they would manage to get Castiel his daily meals without upsetting their kitchen staff, Dean and Castiel were allowed to go to their house.

The walk from the main palace to their new home was short. The sun was setting slowly and the air was still pleasantly warm despite the breeze that went through the streets. It was weird for Castiel that this city seemed to be so… compact, for lack of a better word. Uniform in height and shape of the houses, all roads seemingly symmetrical. Angel capital had been built differently, an organic growing as the city expanded. Here, everything looked like it had been carefully planned in advance. The square in front of their palace was empty as of now, walled in by buildings of regular height. Everything was made of white smooth stone with colorful tiles and decorative elements adorning the front. The palace itself looked beautiful, even though it felt somewhat rough to Castiel because of its clunky, flat shape. There were many big, high windows which Castiel hoped would make the inside light up. He was not looking forwards to dark rooms that he would have to navigate with a lamp even during the daytime.

"Is the building up ahead the palace?" Castiel wondered and looked around, "or all of these buildings?"

"All of it," Dean explained as they approached the main door. The square was paved with big slabs of stone, occasionally broken up by delicate, sparkling mosaic. Dean seemed to be able to move across it with ease, slithering smoothly as Castiel walked next to him. "We Naga need space." After a moment Dean shrugged. "Well, I don't. Give me a dry hole to sleep in and I'm happy." Castiel laughed at that.

"I doubt that just because you have been used to the bare necessities, you won't enjoy comfort."

"You're damn right about that. I love a comfortable bed," Dean said with a determined nod. Castiel shook his head at him.

"Speaking of beds, will we have a bedroom to share?" Castiel wondered when they approached the front of the door that would lead them inside. The wooden door was opened, letting Castiel look into the ante room with the usual furniture and beyond that into the entrance hall. It looked empty and too big. There were no servants to come greet them, though someone must have obviously opened the doors for them. Unless Naga always left their doors wide open, which Castiel found hard to imagine. Surely they too appreciated their privacy and had to defend from burglars or enemies.

"There's probably a shared bedroom for us, but we have private quarters too. In the private quarters there are a couple of rooms that have been furnished with beds." Castiel nodded at that. While he would have been able to sleep with Dean in the same bed, he wasn't averse to having his own space. Especially since he didn't quite know how comfortable it would be to share a bed with a meters long scaly tail. His pondering roughly came to a stop when the door to his now home was right in front of him. There was a line in the ground; smooth tiles that discreetly separated the square from the anteroom. This was the threshold of his new home, his home as the omega of Dean Winchester, future King of Naga. Suddenly he felt his body become heavy and his feet refused to carry him any further. That imaginary line between who he used to be and who he was supposed to be felt immensely hard to cross.

"What's wrong?" Dean came up beside Castiel, bending down so that his face was close to Castiel's. His juniper scent was strong and his body radiated warmth.

"Nothing…" Dean snorted at Castiel's attempt at deflecting. "It's a superstition we have at home… A new wife has to be carried across the threshold of the new house by her husband." When Castiel looked up at Dean, his husband seemed to be puzzled and Castiel could feel his face heat up. He was embarrassed. He had been fine with not getting the blessings at the church, but this silly tradition was what made him hesitate? He wanted to move his legs in spite of himself, but he was rooted to the spot.

"Well, if that's your tradition then I'm happy to carry you into the house," Dean said. Castiel looked up at him, surprise flooding all his senses, shortly followed by gratitude.

"Are you sure?" Castiel asked and Dean nodded. "I would appreciate it." Dean bent down and carefully put his arms around Castiel, lifting him up. It was not quite the bridal carry that Castiel had imagined, but it felt good to be held against Dean's chest. Comfortable even. Dean slowly slid across the threshold, passed the ante room and finally came into the entrance hall. Only when they were firmly inside the house did he put Castiel back down on his feet. He didn't quite let him go yet, but gave him a hug first, then he slowly pulled back up, but kept his eyes trained on Castiel. Castiel was locked in that intense look, unsure what it meant but unwilling to break the contact. Dean searched for something in his face and Castiel let him look his fill. Finally, Dean patted Castiel's shoulders and looked away, back to where the threshold shone in the daylight.

"Looks like you made it past the threshold without incidents!" Dean exclaimed and the spell broke. Castiel smiled at him. "What now? Are you officially the omega of the house now?"

"Yes," Castiel agreed and somehow that made Dean's cheeks take on a slightly pink hue.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, Castiel Winchester, I will now see to my scales," Dean said and moved back into the ante room.

"Haven't you just cleaned yourself? Surely you couldn't have gotten much dirt into your scales from that short walk," Castiel said and looked around the entrance hall. It was very empty. Not that Castiel was used to different things from other palace entrance halls. But maybe some useless decorations were in order. Instead of answering his question, Dean hissed something. Clearly, he hadn't intended for it to be heard by Castiel, because once he looked into the ante-room Dean was there, blocking his sight.

"You're already done cleaning, why don't you go ahead?" Dean asked and no matter how casual he sounded, there was no denying that his face was flushed in embarrassment. When Castiel tried to spy past him, Dean moved with him, putting his hands on Castiel's shoulders to still him, even though he quickly released him again. "I'm gonna clean it up!" he said in defeat when Castiel shot him a glare that had Dean drop his head and bend to the side. Now Castiel could see what had caused Dean such distress. An intricately drawn, stylized penis adorned the stone arch of the entrance in bright blue paint. It wasn't crudely drawn graffiti, that much was clear to Castiel.

"It's a blessing," Dean explained somewhat reluctantly, eying the symbol with some contempt. "The aim is to invite prosperity and fertility into this house. It's embarrassing but ultimately well-meaning."

"I assume your family put it there without your knowledge?" Castiel asked, his arms crossed over his chest while Dean put away his cleaning equipment.

"Ugh, yes," he muttered and Castiel took mercy on his husband.

"You don't need to worry, Dean. I'm not offended. It's a kind gesture, not obscene vandalism," Castiel told him and Dean looked at him with an expression of gratitude. It was unclear to Castiel why Dean had worried so much about this. Sure, it was unsettling to be faced with people's expectations like this, but he should get used to it sooner or later. "I'm sure Gabriel would have greatly approved." Dean perked up at that and followed Castiel out of the ante room.

"Yeah? He does seem like the kind of guy who would enjoy embarrassing others," Dean said. Castiel nodded, letting Dean guide the way through the empty room that came with three different doors or corridors leading away from it.

"Testing boundaries is what Gabriel does. It can be very frustrating but mother says that it's in his nature as an alpha."

"Eeeeh," Dean drawled, "I suppose that's not all that wrong. We alphas can be a bit difficult… And I bet there are many frustrated alphas around in a land ruled by omegas. There certainly would be here." Castiel heaved a sigh at that.

"Yes… I believe that this is the only reason that Metatron managed to seize the throne. Many alphas and men believe in the ancient tradition of having men govern, while confining women to the house to have children. I had it easier than others, because despite my omega status I'm still a man."

"So you've been… forced to stay at home, or what did Metatron do to you?" Dean asked and Castiel frowned. Dean was turned away from him, so he couldn't see Castiel's reluctant expression. It wasn't like he wanted to keep secrets from Dean, but thinking back to the years he spent under Metatron's reign was hardly something he liked doing.

"Not much," he said, not wanting to let the silence become too long for Dean to grow suspicious. "I had been in Rain's Landing when Metatron seized power but that couldn't protect me as effectively as if I had been in an allied court. He called me to his court and I couldn't deny it without risking harm befalling Rain's Landing. Waiting to see what Metatron would want with me was the hardest part of it, but he didn't harm me." Dean made a humming noise but it was impossible to find out what he was thinking. Castiel was happy not to dwell on it that much and follow Dean through the corridors and into a corridor. Castiel could see a couple of archways along the corridor on one side, windows that showed out into a big courtyard on the other. The palace was furnished, though after peeking into the first couple of rooms it was clear that while everything was of a high quality and certainly very expensive, they only had necessary objects. There was a lot of empty space.

"Nah, we don't exactly want empty space either," Dean explained when Cas asked about it. They were in a room that held nothing more than a table which was richly carved, china closets that held kitchenware and some pillows. No decoration. No chairs either of course. "Sure, we need a lot of space to move around, so to you it might seem empty nevertheless. But my parents wanted to let us buy our own stuff. They also weren't sure if my wife would bring items of her own into the household."

"I do have some items with me. Just the traditional items needed to start a household. Pots and pans, cutlery, washing board. Things like that." He looked up at Dean, who was studying the patterns on the china. There were so many plates that Castiel wasn't sure if that meant they were expected to host many guests or if that was just a necessity with Naga meals. Just thinking about all the plates to wash made Castiel pull his lips into a tight line. He hoped that they had servants. He wasn't a lazy man and he didn't plan on being a lazy husband, but he had never been particularly fond of cleaning up after people. He supposed that this was something he'd have to discuss with his husband. The next couple of rooms they checked out where of a similar style. Library, sitting rooms, lounges, other dining rooms. They didn't even get to check out the rooms that circled the square outside because those apparently housed the staff rooms as well as the kitchen and laundry rooms. The fact that they would have staff both worried Cas but also made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Did the alphas in your family change during the time that Metatron ruled?" Dean's question took Castiel by surprise and he looked away from the inner courtyard featuring a shallow pool and some wooden benches. His husband seemed curious but when Castiel heaved a sigh his face changed to worry. "I'm sorry. This is a personal question and I shouldn't have pried. You don't need to answer." Castiel shook his head.

"It's alright. It's a bit of a sore point in my family, but there's no way around the truth. There was unrest in my family and among my brothers. Not all of them reacted charitably to the sudden change in power they had. It was physical and legal power over their own female and omega family members. Gabriel's still… I don't know. He pushes too hard sometimes and not all of it is due to his character. Michael's immensely loyal to Mother, so even though he suddenly found himself much higher up in the line of succession, he hasn't changed much. He tried to play his cards right, but it wasn't easy." He certainly didn't want to talk about Lucifer, so if Dean knew about him he would have to fill in the blanks himself. Dean didn't ask however and they continued their exploration in silence. After the first inner courtyard, private chambers followed and while each room had hints of what they could be, Cas had the feeling that many would remain unused.

"There are a lot more rooms than we could possibly use," Dean muttered. "Lots of guest rooms I suppose. Or maybe you have hobbies that can fill those rooms?" He looked down at Castiel but he shrugged.

"Maybe I can get a private kitchen closer to my own quarters," he mused.

"We've got a private tea room, I'm sure we can change the small kitchen and pantry attached," Dean explained and soon enough they found the tea room. It was a lovely space, like a conservatory with a domed glass ceiling to which heavy fabric was attached, so that they could block out the sun if needed. Castiel liked it.

"Will we have to entertain guests often?" Castiel wondered. He knew of the importance of upholding a network if you were royalty. He had never been all that good at it while he was Lord of Rain's Landing, but he always made an effort.

"Ugh, I hope not," Dean moaned, but then he caught himself and shot Castiel a contrite look. "I mean I will if you'd like to host. But I'm a soldier… I know nothing about hosting."

"So we will when we have to," Castiel said and Dean seemed grateful. Castiel looked around himself when they were back in the hall, with many doors leading to guest rooms. "Forgive me for asking, but since this is the matrimonial palace… how many children were your parents hoping for you to have…?" Dean looked down at him with wide eyes before he burst into laughter. Castiel frowned. "Dean."

"Sorry… Aaaah. I don't actually know. They surely went overboard when they designed this palace," he said with a grin. "Let's find our bedrooms." Dean winked. Castiel waited until Dean had moved his entire body out of the tea room before he followed him at a leisurely pace. It would actually have interested him to know about the common size of a Naga household. How many children did they have? Did they invite family members to live at their court? Did they invite children of allies? Castiel's family was big, sprawling all over the country in courts and mansions. He had probably spent as much time at court with an aunt or cousin or friend as he had at the capital.

"You seem deep in thought." Castiel almost bumped into Dean's tail and when he looked up he saw his husband leaning his shoulder against the wall, arms crossed and a smile on his lips.

"Yes," Castiel said, slightly embarrassed. "My mind went ahead of itself."

"Regarding what?" Dean wanted to know and then he pushed a door open, revealing a big, airy room. It didn't hold more than a huge bed and what looked to be a walk-in closest. The winning quality of the room however was that it was light. The entire wall facing away from the door was made of glass panels held by wood and Cas was sure that these could be opened. The room continued after the glass doors, but had no wall to separate it from the outside. It was furnished with cushioned benches, thin curtains fluttered in the wind. Behind that started the garden which was mostly open green space, with some bushes and many flowers.

"I was thinking about guests mostly," Castiel remembered to answer Dean's question, then he stepped into the room to look around. "Is this the master bedroom?"

"Yeah. Guess we won't be using that anytime soon," Dean said and Castiel heard the sound of his scales on the floor. "Even more space for guests!" Castiel followed Dean down the hall to another set of doors at the end. "Maybe these are meant for us?" Dean opened the door for Cas and let him step into the room. Cas instantly liked it. The roof of the room was domed, with a ceiling light in the center, that let in a column of bright light. High round windows circling the room brought in further light. The walls were decorated with beams that arched towards the ceiling light, golden stars painted on them. It was still bare, holding nothing more than a bed, a table and a long sofa. Castiel could see his writing desk in here and his wardrobe. There was a second round door and Castiel went to open it. Behind it was an identical room.

"I like these rooms," he decided.

"I think they were intended as a nursery," Dean said, moving into the room through the main door.

"Can we use them as bedrooms?" Castiel asked. Something flickered over Dean's face that Castiel didn't know how to read.

"Sure," he said with a smile. Castiel returned the smile, but he wondered what Dean's expression could have meant. Was he unhappy about the nursery not getting used?

"I would be glad if we could be close to each other," he said instead of worrying about it and that made Dean's smile look more radiant. "If this room isn't too small for you."

"Not at all," Dean assured him, a blush on his cheeks. "It's decided then." Castiel nodded with a smile and then they went to their respective rooms to investigate further. Castiel decided to leave the connecting door open. They would have to discuss what to do about that later.

* * *

After they had chosen their rooms, Dean left to inform the servants where to put their belongings. Castiel had enjoyed a small snack of tea and fruit before he went back to his room. The majority of his belongings were already in the room but he hadn't seen a single servant so far and they were actually hard to miss considering how much space they occupied. He would have to inquire after their staff. As omega of the house he had to know who was in their employ and ascertain that they received their wages. But that was for later, now Castiel had to get settled.

The wardrobe was standing against a free wall and his chests with clothes and personal effects were here too. The table was piled high with boxes and wrapped items, so he turned towards it. A quick survey told him that the items were mostly wedding gifts, some from back home and some must have been new ones. He stepped on a sturdy looking chest in order to better reach the table top. While he unpacked he wondered about the things he needed. A table that wasn't as high, chairs. Definitely chairs. He also wanted a writing table. Castiel didn't know how he was supposed to spend his days here. What did Naga omegas do once they were married? He couldn't possibly read all day and he found it hard to imagine running the household when he had no idea how Naga did things. Maybe they would give him a job so he could earn his keep. Castiel snorted. The situation almost felt like he was the alpha in the house!

Castiel hadn't really been paying attention to what he was unwrapping, but once he looked down to see what his siblings had gotten him, he regretted not having been more cautious. In the luxurious looking box, hidden under a layer of silk was what the accompanying card called "sexy underwear, sure to entice any alpha with some sense and a dick". Gabriel's words, evidently. The so called sexy underwear consisted of various items; delicate bras (nothing more than flat fabric considering he had nothing to put inside those bras), panties which, once worn, would leave very little to the imagination as well as night gowns that were practically see through. He could almost hear Anna in his head saying "show off your assets!". Even Michael had signed the card wishing him good luck when "tying the knot". Terrible. Castiel put the lid back on the box. The other gifts from home were at least somewhat more useful for starting a household of his own. Normal clothes, writing paper, notebooks for the house finances, expensive wing grooming sets and more. Amidst the gifts he also found a familiar item: the weird box that Dean had snatched away back in Hagar.

Almost as if Dean could smell the danger, Castiel could hear him approaching, so Castiel hurried up with the unpacking. Dean's protests fell on deaf ears and Castiel pulled the gift out of the box with a confused expression. He found it to be a piece of wood, artistically carved into the shape of a penis. His first instinct was to assume that it was for masturbation, but when Castiel turned it around in his hands he found a switch. When he pulled at it a small compartment sprang open along the length of the wood. Castiel saw that something was inside and he pulled out a piece of cloth. Quizzically, he looked at his husband, whose face was red but he seemed to have accepted his defeat.

"It's another tradition," Dean confessed. "I swear Castiel, not everything about us centers around dicks." Castiel huffed a laugh at that and the small sound made some of Dean's consternation disappear. "This is a blessing that my family prepared specifically for my mate. The cloth is from a blanket I had been swaddled in as a newborn. By keeping it, parents hope to pass on their good luck to the next generation. It's a wish for a married couple to have healthy children." Castiel studied the red fabric with wide eyes, then he gingerly put it pack into its compartment.

"That's very sweet," he decided and the compartment clicked shut. Castiel studied the unusual shape of the container. "Why were you trying to hide your parents' blessing from me?" Dean made a grimace. "Because it's shaped like this?"

"No… I'm embarrassed by my parents making a big deal out of this." Castiel tilted his head to the side, not understanding. Dean heaved a sigh and dragged his hand through his short hair, messing it up slightly. "For my family the political part of our arrangement is over. It has been over since we both put our signatures on a piece of parchment. Now they treat us like any newlyweds, no matter what's written in the contract." Castiel studied his husband's serious expression.

"They expect a proper marriage. And offspring," he summarized and Dean nodded reluctantly. He didn't entirely know what to think, but he was neither filled with shame, nor with dread at the prospect.

"Would you put this on the window sill above my bed?" he asked and held the object out to Dean. Dean seemed surprised, taking it wordlessly. "I understand, Dean. And I'm grateful for their blessing." Castiel was surprised by how dazzling Dean's smile was.

"And I'm grateful that you take this so well when it could be a highly embarrassing situation," Dean answered and put the blessing in its new place.

"It's not embarrassing, just surprising. And you can rest assured: my family is the same. They've sent me wedding gifts too which I considered kind of unnecessary."

"Parents, right?" Dean asked with a small grin which Castiel answered with a shrug. "I'm going to get you dinner, I asked my parents' cook to prepare something for you."

"I'd appreciate it," Castiel answered. He might have just eaten fruit, but he was more than happy to get a proper meal. Dean nodded dutifully and then he left Castiel to continue unpacking. Castiel's mind, however, was straying and circling back to the topic at hand. What if he deprived Dean of something he wanted by not having children? What if he deprived _himself_ of something that he wanted? It wasn't impossible for them to fall into a relationship that might become intimate. And even if that kind of desire would not develop between them, all it took was for them to have sexual intercourse once during Castiel's most fertile days. Even when they weren't sexually involved it was something they could do for the sake of having children.

When Dean returned with a tray, Castiel had made up his mind.

"We could have intercourse to create offspring," Castiel said, which almost made his husband drop everything in his arms.

"What…?" Dean asked, clearly shaken by Castiel saying that out of the blue. Or almost out of the blue anyway.

"I feel that if we're to have a good marriage, then we have to be blunt about topics such as the one of children," Castiel told him and Dean looked… almost intimidated. But he silently put the tray on the table.

"Yeah, sure," he said and watched Castiel taste the food. It was creamy soup with a couple thick slices of bread, some juice, fruit and something that looked like mashed peas but in purple. "But you don't have to worry about it," he assured Castiel. "It's kind of early on in our relationship to talk about children, isn't it?" This he asked with a wink. Castiel shrugged.

"In most arranged marriages, you don't even have to talk about the topic of children. It's expected," he said and Dean crossed his arms over his chest. "I might be an omega but I'm not dying to have children. I simply assumed that I would have them one day. I'm not scandalized by our parents hoping for it despite their assurances that it wouldn't be necessary."

"Yeah… I think I might want to try in the future, but I feel no rush," he said and Castiel looked up from his food to find Dean looking down at him with a pensive expression. Whatever went through Dean's head he clearly didn't want to share it. In the end he nodded to himself. "So… A possibility but no rush? That's what we're gonna do?" Castiel wiped his mouth on a napkin, then he nodded.

"Agreed, it's what we're gonna do," he said, then he reached out his hand. Dean laughed, but he took Castiel's hand to shake on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to see a sketchy comic about Dean carrying Cas over the threshold [you can find it here on my tumblr!](http://diminuel.tumblr.com/post/147508721960/married-life-can-begin-its-just-a-sketch-but-i)  
> Thank you for reading! See you next chapter when Dean and Cas get a surprise visit!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the last chapter of this part! I added a link to last chapter's notes, so if you haven't seen Dean carrying Cas across the threshold yet and you do want to see it, go check it out :D
> 
> Many thanks again to [Bella Monoxide](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bella_Monoxide/profile) for beta reading. All mistakes left are of my own doing.

Castiel woke up not long after sunrise to the morning sun shining into his face. He groaned in displeasure, reminding himself to put curtains on the list of things he had to get. Or maybe he'd entirely block the east facing window to not be blinded by rays of light long before he wanted to be awake. Maybe he could relocate the wardrobe there.

Castiel pushed himself up on his elbows and then stretched both his arms and his wings. Feeling less stiff, he listened for any noises that would indicate if anybody was up yet. He knew that this was his own house and he didn't have to tip-toe around like a shy house guest, eager to not displease his hosts. But he still felt like a stranger. He took pity on himself though; of course it would take him a while to get used to living here. Nothing was made for him, apart from the possessions he'd brought from angel country. Castiel got off the bed, feeling slightly chilled when his naked feet touched the cool ground. The late summer heat hadn't crept into the room yet, for which Castiel was grateful, even though his feet were used to rugs instead of cool tiles. He walked over to his wardrobe, having put the majority of his clothes inside last night. He grabbed a morning gown to wear over his underwear, as well as slippers to protect the soles of his feet against the cool ground.

He needed to wash. And he really needed to urinate. He had put it off long enough. He shot the door linking his and Dean's room a look. It was closed and the room beyond was silent. So he slipped out and into the dark corridor. There were little holes with stained glass in the ceiling which Castiel considered one of the merits of building only one story high. The light broke through the darkness of the corridor, though he really hoped that there would be some lamps installed as well eventually. The washing room was close by and Castiel stepped inside through the arch. The open space didn't have a door – most of the rooms didn't. Castiel had seen this space yesterday so even though it was dark now, he had an idea what was where. His slippers made no sound on the mosaic floor and Castiel set his belongings on one of the benches in the room. He grabbed the oil lamp he had deposited in one of the decorative nooks in the wall and lit it. The big sitting room contained benches as well as many shelves attached to the wall which contained towels and tail grooming material, as well as a side table pushed to the wall that held a coffee set. Castiel wasn't sure what the presence of a coffee set inside the bathroom said about Naga. Communal bathing he could understand, but the thought of defecating while others were present, chatting with cups of coffee, didn't sit all that well with him. Behind a door (and thank Heavens for that door) there were the Naga style toilets; benches with holes in them, lining the three walls of the room. There was another of those waist high pillars in the middle of the room and Castiel knew that he could light the coals so that scented steam or smoke would mask any other scents. Just how much time did the Naga spend in here, chatting and expelling waste? Castiel was deeply uncomfortable with the thought of joining in.

He did his business as quickly as he could, trying not to feel too ridiculous about standing on the bench, attempting to pee down a hole by his feet. Then he was out again to wash his hands and grab his clothes to take them in the other room containing showers and a huge basin for bathing. It currently wasn't filled with water, so Castiel pulled the shower lever which got the water to run through the pipes and down over Castiel. On a long wooden shelf, almost too high up for Castiel to reach, were glass bottles and jars. He found something to lather his body and hair with, trying not to get his wings directly under the stream of water. He combed his wet fingers through the feathers he could reach and then carefully let the water run down his back.

While Castiel dried off and got dressed, he thought about having to request blue prints to have an angel appropriate bathroom built. He really had to talk to Dean about adjustments to the building.

Dressed in a light morning tunic and his gown he stepped back out of the bathroom and into the corridor. He wasn't sure where to take breakfast, but luckily Dean poked his head out of his bedroom. His hair was slightly messed up and he wore a wide cotton shirt that covered all of Dean's human body and part of his tail too.

"Good morning," Dean said, "I thought I heard the water running. You're up early."

"Good morning, Dean. The sun woke me," he said and judging by Dean's squint that wasn't enough of a reason to actually be up and about. "I would like to take breakfast," Castiel explained and Dean rubbed his eyes, but then he moved the rest of his body out of the door. The corridor was so wide that Castiel shouldn't have been crowded, but he stood in the middle of it, so Dean laid his body around Castiel in a semi-circle after a moment of hesitation.

"Oh, right. Breakfast. I had the staff put things into the pantry in the tea room."

"Is the tea room where we usually have breakfast?" Castiel wondered and moved into what he assumed to be the right direction. His sense of direction was decent, but the corridors felt a bit like a labyrinth still.

"We don't have breakfast at all," Dean said, sounding unsure. "So… wherever you want to have it, have it?"

"Maybe the kitchen then," Castiel mused, "I can cook my own food."

"Nonsense," Dean exclaimed. "You're royalty. We have staff." Castiel frowned at that.

"Do we have a cook that is constantly available to cook for me? Servants to serve me food? For three major meals, for the mid-morning snack and tea time?"

"Err," Dean muttered. Castiel went into the tea room, taking a seat on one of the benches. He needed a small table and at least one armchair in here. He doubted he would have guests soon that would be able to make use of chairs, but he preferred to be prepared. "Right now we have arranged with the kitchen staff to prepare your food each day. And you'll be able to grab something from the pantry whenever you are hungry. I think… the main cook was pretty shocked about the idea of cooking so often for you."

"Did they think I was out to breed an entire nest of children?" Castiel joked because the uncomfortable look on Dean's face wasn't really what he wanted to see. Surely, the cook must have had bad things to say about Castiel's dietary needs. At least Dean cracked a smile at Castiel's joke.

"Maybe," Dean said, then he slid up to the long sofa close to the coffee table, lowering his upper body until what might count as his hip area was resting on it. Then he pulled part of his tail onto it. The rest of his tail he curved around the back of the bench. Castiel observed it with some amusement. Wooden benches were clearly easier to manage because they tended to just slide onto it. The fabric of the sofas seemed to require a more elaborate set of… well. Contortions. Castiel supposed that Naga generally had very little use for chairs. He couldn't see the difference between a Naga standing on the floor and one draped over a bench. Maybe they just used sofas in the house for decorum's sake.

There were already hot coals in the little oven under the table and Dean stirred them back to flames, so that the water in the kettle would start to boil.

"Maybe I could hire some staff to see to my food if you don't want me to cook for myself? Maybe someone young who has just finished their education wouldn't mind working for me?" Castiel didn't wait for Dean's answer and went into the attached pantry. It was a long room with a rounded ceiling, many shelves with jars and lots of iron cast hatches built into the wall. He pulled a wooden box to the wall and stepped on it, so he could open one of the hatches and peer inside. Behind was a hollow space with shelves, warm air streaming out. There were pots inside and it smelled delicious. Most of the other hatches were empty. There was also a door that almost felt too narrow for a Naga, but it led into a small, dark room that was sloping slightly down. It was cool in it and while it was empty Castiel assumed that it was also used for storage. He got himself a tray and loaded it with porridge, cooked mushrooms, some eggs, bread and small jars that seemed to contain honey and jams.

Dean eyed his tray suspiciously when Castiel set it down on the bench before him. He didn't comment though and wordlessly handed Castiel a cup of coffee.

"I'm not sure if you'll find staff, but I know you'll need it," Dean said after a while. "You'll need people who are in contact with the farmers and the shops and the storages. I'm sure my parents' steward will be willing to help us out. He's kinda surly, but he gets things done."

"Will we also need a steward?" Castiel wanted to know. It wasn't uncommon for nobility to have someone who was in charge of all things pertaining to housekeeping, but since Castiel wasn't the omega of a royal palace (yet) and it was just Dean and him at this point, it didn't seem necessary. Dean shrugged.

"I think it would be easiest if someone else took care of all our needs for us. But honestly…? it would be boring. What are we supposed to do if we have no tasks?" Dean seemed pretty unhappy with the idea of inactivity and Castiel couldn't fault him that.

"So we don't employ one," Castiel decided. "In an angelic household I would be housekeeper, though I admit that I don't know enough about how things work here to be able to start that right away. We might need someone to help us."

"Well… Either we get an aid to take care of some of the tasks or we ask Rufus for help," Dean suggested and that seemed reasonable to Castiel. "We both have to learn how it works. I've never had to organize or host a feast, but now that I'm married my family will eventually expect us to host."

"How… many people are there in your family? Or how many people will be present at the feast?" Castiel almost didn't dare to ask. Dean had to laugh.

"Unwind your knots, Cas!" Castiel lifted his eyebrow at that expression. "All the staff will of course eat with their own families. We'll only have to entertain the family circle. I think we're currently around 20 people."

"Twenty," Castiel repeated, somewhat relieved. "That seems manageable." Dean nodded.

"And you'll be able to observe and learn first. Feasts are different everywhere and I've been lucky enough to be invited to many tables over the course of my service," he said with a warm smile. He sipped his coffee but really seemed to have not the slightest interest in eating the food on Castiel's tray.

"Aren't you even the least bit hungry?" Castiel wondered between bites and that got Dean to look down at him with a lifted eyebrow. "We've been travelling for a while. Surely, you're due for another meal, aren't you?" Dean shrugged but didn't grace him with an answer. Castiel wasn't sure why, so maybe he had to pry some more.

"You once said that it was the omega who hosts feasts, right?" Dean nodded at that. "So you never prepare meals for yourself?"

"I've rarely had to eat all on my own. That only happens if I've been separated from my squad or during training where we had to learn how to fend for ourselves. My fellow soldiers were my circle at that time, so we ate together. We usually prepared the food together as well. But out in the wilderness feasts work differently anyway. I was glad whenever we were stationed near a village. Being invited to join a family circle for a feast is a great honor." Castiel listened with interest.

"What if I were to invite you to eat? Would you accept or decline?" he wondered and Dean looked at him like he had been slapped. Shock and something else, something decidedly harder for Castiel to read, were written all over Dean's face.

"Uhm," he started, then he put down the cup.

"No false sense of propriety, Dean. I'm not asking to put you on the spot. I'm asking to figure out if you would not eat with me despite your hunger unless I invited you."

"I don't really know…," Dean said after a while. He eyed the food. "Eating outside of feasts would disrupt my digestions…"

"And that would be bad?" Castiel wondered, studying Dean while he continued eating.

"I… guess? It might make me drowsy when I'd have to be alert. Or I'd miss something because I'm away, pooping."

"You honestly don't miss so much of life just because you've got to poop more than once every two weeks," Castiel told him with a small amused huff. "I speak from experience." Dean pulled a face.

"I find that hard to believe," Dean replied and Castiel figured, considering just how that bathroom was set up.

"Not everyone spends hours on the toilet. I do my business in a couple of minutes."

"You have to process less food, it can't be compared," Dean argued and Castiel wondered if they were really arguing about this now. Castiel shook his head, amused.

"In any case. If you do find yourself hungry or just in the mood to eat, you're very welcome to join me," Castiel said eventually, putting down his spoon. He looked up at his husband, who seemed torn about the offer, but clearly not opposed to it, considering how a smile pulled at the corner of his lips.

"Thanks, Cas," Dean said, then he tensed. " _Castiel_." Castiel rolled his eyes and Dean apparently decided to deflect by being insufferable. "Lord Castiel of Rain's Landing. His Royal Highness Castiel of Winchester. Highly esteemed husband to the crown prince of Naga. Most blessed omega of the House of Winchester."

"Just call me Cas, Dean. It's no big deal," Castiel said with a laugh. Dean's face was red and Castiel wondered just why shortening his name made Dean feel such intense embarrassment.

"It's rude to assume such familiarity with one's omega."

"We're married, Dean," Castiel reminded him bluntly, "and we are on friendly terms." Dean nodded hesitatingly. "Therefore, I insist."

"Okay…," Dean finally said, clearly embarrassed still. "Cas." An involuntary and very surprising shiver went through Castiel to hear his husband roll the name off his tongue, drawing out the s with a soft hiss. He failed to answer anything to that.

"Thanks," he finally said and mentally reproached himself because what kind of answer was that? Dean didn't seem to think it particularly odd, because he smiled at Castiel and took his tray for him, to put it away for the servants to get to later. Castiel looked after his retreating form, seeing the feathers on Dean's tail end flap against the floor once.

* * *

Dean and Castiel were sitting in one of the many empty rooms, discussing what kind of furniture they would have to get. It quickly became apparent that both of them weren't that imaginative when it got to interior decorating. Castiel had taken years to give his city house in Rain's Landing a personal note. Dean had some ideas about what he wanted to do, but Castiel wasn't sure that attaching weapons to the wall was the most brilliant idea.

"I'll turn one of the rooms into an atelier. But it'll have to be close to the square because I'll have to bring in goods. I don't want to drag them through the entire house and-" A faint ringing noise interrupted Dean.

"What is it?" Castiel wondered.

"There are guests at the door," he said and Castiel lifted his eyebrows in surprise. Was that faint ringing noise that Castiel had taken to come from the outside their door bell…? How was he supposed to hear that from the private quarters? "Usually a servant would come to tell us who visits, but since we haven't got official servants yet I'll have to check." Dean heaved himself up from the bench and Castiel was surprised how quickly he was out of the room. Castiel adjusted his clothes, then he followed Dean. His husband was already out of sight. Castiel quickened his pace until he got into the entrance hall. Dean made a grimace, standing at a latticed window. With a flick of his wrist the wood was closed again, shielding the person in the ante-room from view.

"Let's get it over with," Dean muttered and went to the other side of the entrance hall where there was as door that led to some sort of sitting room. Castiel noticed that the room had a connecting door to the ante-room that Castiel hadn't noticed before. So this sitting room was possibly a small audience chamber of sorts.

"Not all guests come in, some just stay to chat at the door," Dean explained when the door slid to the side and a woman was eying both of them, her eyes sharp, slightly narrowed as she looked Dean and Castiel up and down. Castiel didn't know whether to sit down or remain standing. The Naga woman was shorter than Dean and maybe a bit older than Dean's parents. Her hair was an auburn color and other than Dean she kept it unadorned. The rest of her body was covered in layers of fabric. Castiel had a hard time judging the clothing styles of Naga, but if he had to hazard a guess he would call her well-dressed.

"Visit from court!" she announced and Dean groaned. "Posture, boy," she called in an amused tone and Dean wrinkled his nose at her.

"This is Ezra Moore. She serves the royal court as an etiquette expert and is a popular chaperone with the young women of high birth." Ezra inclined her head in a gesture of respect and Castiel courtsied. Ezra observed the move with sharp eyes. Dean turned towards Castiel, his expression pained. He mouthed 'sorry' at him but Castiel wasn't sure what was going to happen now. He turned back to Ezra.

"No offense, Ezra, but we don't really need lessons."

"Hush, hush, hush!" Ezra said, waving her hands around, making the bracelets on her wrists clink. "Are you kidding me, sweet cheeks? Don't need lessons he says!" Ezra shook her head and Dean's expression soured. "You two are the face of our peace. Not only that! You are also the ones to guarantee the succession of the Winchester line; an alpha and omega pair!"

"Yeah, but-" Dean wanted to interrupt, but Ezra talked over him:

"There's no way around it, Dean. You two will be paraded about. And I won't have you two look disgraceful at the feast where Castiel is to be formally introduced!" Dean crossed his arms over his chest but sunk back down on the cushioned bench. Castiel looked back to Ezra, finding her studying him intensely.

"Do you want to come in?" was the only thing he could think to say.

"Thank you, but now is not the time. I'm merely here to get an idea about you two," Ezra said. Then she pointed at Dean. "You, young man. Why are you still dressed like a bachelor? You're married now! Cover yourself!" she said. Castiel wondered what was wrong about Dean's clothing. He wore a similar style as he usually did, with a wide belt around his middle and a jacket that left his chest mostly uncovered. Dean didn't get the chance to reply because Ezra was turning towards Castiel. "Well… You're not bad looking. I'm not sure what to do with those sticks you're balancing your weight on."

" _Legs_."

"Of course I know they're legs, I wasn't born yesterday," Ezra retorted to Dean's interruption. "Obviously there's nothing a good long skirt won't hide." She squinted her eyes at him and Castiel resisted to urge to reach up to his hair. He had braided it and it was fixed to the back of his head as usual, with some pearls woven into his hair. "There should be flowers on your head, not pearls." Castiel didn't know what to say to her. Ezra produced a measuring tape from underneath one of the many layers of cloth wrapped around her hips. She approached without any reservation and started measuring his height and the length of his legs. Castiel was used to this, so he didn't react much. But he didn’t want to part with his pearls or his clothes. The idea of being dressed in Naga finery ruffled his feathers.

"I brought plenty of clothes with me and they've been approved by our court stylist," he said. Well, some of them, he mentally added. Ezra hummed at that, still taking his size. When she was done she put everything down in a small notebook that she then made disappear like the tape. "Good. I will be back."

"Good-bye," Castiel said and then the Naga was gone, silence descending on the sitting room. Dean heaved a sigh. Castiel hesitated for a moment, but then he turned towards Dean.

"I assure you that I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I would greatly prefer to dress in my own clothes. I am still an angel," Castiel said and Dean looked at him. "I don't want to become someone else completely. Someone who talks or dresses or feels different. I have to treasure what I can from my home." Castiel was surprised by how deeply he felt about this. He hoped that Dean at least would understand. Or if he didn't understand that he would respect Castiel's wishes.

"Of course. I'll talk to Ezra and my parents. I'm sure they'll understand," he assured him and took hold of Castiel's wrist. "It's alright." Castiel took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before he breathed out and forced himself to relax.

"Thank you," he said and received a smile from his husband. "For formal functions I will of course wear the required dresses. Just don't expect me to dress differently in daily life."

"Sure, Cas. Nobody will force you. I promise," he said. He gave Castiel's hand a squeeze, then he got up from the bench. "Now, let's continue our tour. We need to make adjustments for you. What was that about chairs? You sure you need that?"

"Yes, I do," Castiel said, grateful for Dean's easy acceptance.

* * *

Castiel had been foolish to think that he would have seen the last of Ezra. It was his third day inside the house and to be honest he was starting to feel some sort of cabin fever. The palace was big, yes, but he has only seen its walls for three days. And he has only seen Dean in those three days, even though servants and people who came to measure the rooms had been about. He had expected his in-laws to visit, but Castiel hadn't heard anything from them either. Dean assured him that this wasn't out of the ordinary and that family would stay out of their hair for a while.

Dean had headed to the palace after breakfast to take Castiel's request for bathroom blue prints and chair designs to the post office. He had promised to also talk to Rufus to get them some servants according to Castiel's wish lists. He had been gone for a few hours, so when Castiel heard the faint noise that might have been the bell, he hurried through the corridors and pulled open the door to the ante room. He startled two Naga women, who apparently hadn't expected to see Castiel.

"I don't have servants yet," was all that Castiel managed to say to their surprised faces. Ezra chuckled, while the younger woman behind her continued staring, open mouthed.

"No worries," Ezra assured him. "I will explain how you'll have to greet guests, both with servants there to help you and without them," she assured him. Then she turned to look at the woman behind her. "Stop gawking, girl, and start cleaning." The blonde woman snapped out of it and she sat down on the bench, taking the cleaning equipment off the shelf and got to work.

"While we clean, you can go to your main sitting room and we will join you there," Ezra said. Castiel nodded and closed the door. He and Dean hadn't really settled on a main sitting room – the question had actually never even popped up. So Castiel made a quick tour of the different rooms which would allow him to receive two or more Naga. He finally settled on a room that provided a couple of benches with turquoise fabric covering. The upper part of the high wall and the ceiling were tiled with small square mosaics, all different shades of turquoise and some painted with golden stars. Inside one of the dark wooden built in closets was a coffee table on wheels, which Castiel quickly wheeled into the middle of the room. He lit the fires and put a kettle on the fire. He had just enough time to dash into the kitchen to produce some biscuits (mostly for himself) before the Naga women found him. Ezra looked around.

"This is a nice sitting room," she commented. Castiel pointed towards the benches.

"Welcome. Please, take a seat," he offered, then he turned towards the coffee table, where the kettle was was slowly coming to life.

"You don't have any servants at all, yet?" Ezra wondered when Castiel fussed with the tea table, making sure it couldn't roll away.

"No, though I gave Dean a list of positions that need to be filled. He should be talking to his parents' steward about it," Castiel explained. Ezra made a humming noise and Castiel tilted his head, looking at the younger woman who was trying not to stare at his wings. Castiel was glad that he had dressed well today because he hadn't know if Rufus would send them people over right away. "Hello. My name is Castiel."

"This is Jessica. My niece," Ezra introduced her and Jessica inclined her head in a suggestion of a bow. Castiel curtsied automatically and Jessica's eyes lit up as if he had done a complicated dance step. "Jessica is of age, moves in the best social circles and is just the right candidate for an omega companion," Ezra said, the pride in her voice evident.

"So you're an omega too?" Castiel asked but Jessica shook her head, her golden locks bouncing freely around her head. She wore pearls in her hair, little shimmering pink ones that were almost invisible if they weren't hit by the light. Castiel wondered why it was okay for Jessica to wear pearls but Ezra sent the ones he had in his hair continuous doubtful looks.

"Oh no. No," Jessica laughed and Castiel wasn't sure what to make of it. "Don't you have omega companions back at home?"

"Are omega companions similar to chaperones?" Castiel wanted and Jessica contemplated that for a moment.

"Yes, I suppose so," she answered eventually.

"Then no. Almost everyone in court grows up with someone close to them in age from another court. I suppose you could call them companions. My cousin Uriel, an alpha himself, was my companion," Castiel explained. He wasn't shocked when Ezra and Jessica's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You had a man as your companion? And an alpha at that? That is highly suspicious," Ezra said and Castiel lifted his eyebrow.

"I am a man myself. Maybe you should know that before you entrust your niece into my care," Castiel told her which made Ezra snap her mouth shut, squinting at Castiel with doubt in her eyes.

"I had heard that you angels had male omegas. Though I must admit I had simply assumed that you were female however and your voice as well as…" Jessica motioned her hands across her chest which was covered by a ruffled top that stopped just under her breasts.

"Lack of breasts," Castiel supplied. Jessica laughed lightly, not embarrassed or shy.

"Yes. I had assumed that was just how angel omegas were," she said.

"Enough chit chat," Ezra spoke up, clapping her hands to get their attention. "We can discuss the importance of omega companions later. Jessica and I are here to teach you proper Naga omega etiquette!" Castiel knew he kept his face impassive and polite, but within he blanched at the idea.

Lucky for him this was the moment there was a dull thud coming from the entrance hall and then the raspy sound of scales on the ground. Not a moment later Dean burst into the sitting room, his face slightly flushed. He must have run here.

"Sam told me that you'd be here. What's with this ambush!" Dean said. He noticed Jessica and greeted her, before he shot Castiel an apologetic look.

"This is no ambush. I'm here to teach your omega how omegas around these parts behave," Ezra said calmly. Castiel was glad that Dean came to save him from this situation, but unfortunately Ezra was stubborn. She swatted Dean with the end of her tail. "And you can learn too! No amount of omega etiquette will help Castiel if you don't treat him properly!"

"I'm sure that this isn't necessary. Dean has been treating me very… gallantly," Castiel offered but Ezra scoffed.

"I think you'd better give up. Auntie Ezra is tenacious," Jessica said with an apologetic smile. Dean groaned and let himself drop down on the couch next to Castiel, letting most of his tail lying flat on the floor instead of rolling it up slightly as Ezra and Jessica did. Castiel grabbed a biscuit and resigned himself to his fate.

* * *

Castiel had dutifully gotten out his notebook to write down what Ezra told him and Dean. As a cultural study of the Naga it was certainly useful, but Castiel had to admit to himself that his interest in omega expectations was purely academic and he didn't plan on following Ezra's advice when it clashed with his own upbringing. He had spent most of his life being raised by a culture which held omega citizens in the highest regard, so to have to listen to things like "an omega is the most precious jewel in any household and the most prized possession of any alpha" turned his stomach. His husband was just as uneasy at his side.

"Now, royal omegas, when out in public, should show restraint in their interactions with commoners. Let your alpha or the omega companion speak for you. If you leave the house, your clothes have to be appropriate to the task you have to complete. Don't linger in the streets too long."

"Why not?" Castiel challenged, feeling his patience leave him.

"Because you want to be back home, obviously! The less stress, the better for your health," Ezra said wisely. "I have literature on that for you to peruse." Ezra stopped and looked Castiel up and down. "I do assume that being an omega means that you can carry children even if you're male."

"Yes," Castiel said, his voice strained, but Ezra didn't react to it, probably used to people being difficult.

"Very good. In any case, I don't think you'll be leaving the house very often in the early stages of your marriage," Ezra continued with a very pointed look towards Castiel that actually made Jessica blush and Dean cover his face with his hands. "But don't hope for too much. You know how it is. And time will have to tell if you can carry Naga children at all." Castiel opened his mouth to answer, but Ezra clearly didn't need to hear anything. "So the main interactions you'll have with others are when members of your family circle visit and during feasts. Don't worry too much about servants. Taking care of them is your husband's task." Dean shot Castiel a look but Castiel merely shook his head. "So. The feast will happen in two days, starting around ten o'clock. Here in Lawrence that first light snack is enjoyed in your own house in case there are accidents."

"Indigestion," Dean explained when Castiel looked towards Dean in confusion. "Trying to get into another feast cycle can also be stressful on the stomach. It can get gassy," he said with a wink. "Sam's especially terrible, don't get close to him after the first meal," he said that directed at Jessica who just sighed dramatically. Ezra cleared her throat loudly, but this was the first thing that actually interested Castiel. The weird eating habits of Naga were much more fascinating than their old-fashioned view of omegas.

"Just before midday there's another gathering at a repast house. The royal repast house is always booked for the Winchester family circle during that time. There are always commoners around too, so be sure to dress adequately, but not too formal. You are not expected to do anything in particular as an omega there. Just enjoy it. Usually your alpha will be meeting with friends of the extended circle in the repast house, so if you have an omega companion you tend to spend time with her or the other women."

"Don't worry. I'm going to stay with you," Dean said gently, leaning closer to Cas. "I'm not just going to run away to drink with my buddies."

"You should though, Dean," Ezra reprimanded. "This is the time to forge connections!"

"I have enough connections, but I'm just getting to know my husband, so I'd rather stay by his side," Dean told her and the stern tone of his voice made Ezra purse her lips. But she didn't contradict him. Castiel looked at Dean with a small smile. He was grateful for Dean to break what was apparently protocol. Castiel hadn't enjoyed being left alone in the coffee house in Hagar, so the idea of not having a familiar person by his side was daunting.

"In any case, during the main part of the feast in the evening, you will have plenty of time to spend together. We eat in our family circles, though omega and alpha couples will stay close together. Since John and Mary are hosting, you'll be a guest Castiel. How you behave with your alpha around the table is up to you. Some omega serve their alphas even when they're not hosting, but usually Mary will come around and see to your needs. Don't cross tails with her."

"What does that mean?" Castiel asked, directing the question at Dean. "Crossing tails?"

"It means taking over her tasks even though they're her responsibility. In that case it would be to serve guests or direct servants even though it's her task," Dean explained and Castiel understood. Stepping on someone's toes then. "Mom's not that difficult though and she'd teach you before she'd get offended."

"Basically, you have to know your place as the crown prince's omega," Ezra supplied, unhelpfully.

"Of course, I will treat the Queen with all due respect," Castiel exclaimed, getting frustrated and feeling patronized. He was a prince too, he knew how to behave in the presence of a queen – both formally and informally. Castiel shook his head and got up on his feet. "I think I have heard enough lessons for today. I trust that my husband will inform me of the proper etiquette during the feast. Now I would prefer to retreat to my chambers." Jessica seemed surprised by Castiel's sudden withdrawal, but Ezra looked at him like a displeased school teacher.

"But we are not done with your lessons. Far from it."

"We are done for today," Castiel decided and then he looked to Dean. He didn't want his backup or his approval, but judged from the encouraging smile Dean sent him he had both. But Dean apparently didn't think it necessary to speak on Castiel's behalf, which Castiel appreciated. When Ezra looked like she wanted to protest Castiel curtsied as a farewell. "You advised not to expose myself to stress and I feel my insides coiling with it." That got Ezra up from the bench at once.

"Then we must be on our way! Lie yourself down. I would suggest to put your tail up and try not to move but since you have none… Well."

"I will put my feet up. Thank you for the suggestions," Castiel said and curtsied again. "If you wish to stay here and drink some more coffee then you are welcome to. Otherwise I trust that my husband will see you out." He nodded at Dean, who grinned at him, then he turned around and left them.

Once he was out of the sitting room, he let his shoulders slump and went straight for the doors leading into the courtyard to take a short-cut to his private chambers. He felt much better when he could close the door behind himself and fall down face first on the bed.

That had been most frustrating.

Castiel only muttered something into his pillow when there was a knock at the door. Dean came inside nevertheless. Castiel rolled to his side, chin propped up into his palm and looked up at his husband. Dean lowered himself until he could cross his arms on top of Castiel's bed and look at him eye to eye.

"Well, that sucked," Dean decided.

"As my brother tends to say: understatement," Castiel said flatly. Dean seemed to be suspended between amusement and frustration. It was a weird mix to witness.

"Look… what Ezra said is not what I expect from you. To be honest I don't know if anyone does. You're not a Naga omega. You are the one who knows best how you want to behave as a married man. I can teach you about customs but I don't think it's necessary that anyone presents you with a rule book of how you're supposed to behave as an omega."

"I appreciate that, Dean. I truly do," Castiel said, letting his hand drop and leaning over slightly so that he could put his hand on Dean's arms. Dean seemed surprised about the touch and looked down, but he quickly moved so that he could cover Castiel's hand with his own, giving his fingers a light squeeze. After a shared smile, Dean lowered his head, looking at their linked hands.

"I want this to work," Dean confessed, taking Castiel by surprise. "And I don't want it to be ruined because we push you too hard. You're an angel in a land of strangers and so far we haven't been the best hosts."

"You've been a gracious host, Dean," Castiel assured him which made Dean lift his head enough to be able to look at Castiel. "And it takes more to push me too hard. I might not make lots of friends at first, because I can be stubborn about what I want, but I do appreciate that I have your support."

"You do have it," Dean assured him.

"And you have mine," Castiel told him earnestly. They looked at each other, but after a while Dean averted his eyes, clearly uncomfortable with the silence. He gave Castiel's hand another squeeze and then he let it go.

"Well!! I suppose I should let you relax and recover from all that stress! Ezra told me not to go stink up your room with alpha worry because that can give you cramps."

"What is she actually talking about?" Castiel wondered. He wasn't unhappy about the easy way out of annoying situations this provided him, but maybe it would be best to know what he was implying by that.

"The healthiness of your womb." Dean made a vague gesture towards Castiel's body almost as if he wasn't sure where he should aim his gestures at. Castiel pointed to where the organ in question was located. "Yes that. Or sex. Both probably. It's an old wife's tale that regular sexual stimulation and an avoidance of strain will increase your chances of conception," Dean said.

"Are they really thinking that we're engaging in sexual activities?" Castiel wanted to know. He wasn't scandalized by the idea, but how did they even imagine that to work? Castiel let his eyes travel down Dean's body. Dean had absolutely no visible genitals at all. There was that raised part somewhere beneath his navel but that could be anything.

"Who knows. I don't care what they think," Dean admitted and Castiel smiled at him. True to form, Dean blushed slightly, reaching up his hand to rub the back of his neck. He lifted himself up from the bed, impossibly tall as always. "Right. So I guess I'll head back to the palace. I'm not done discussing with Rufus."

"Sure. Keep me up to date," Castiel asked and Dean nodded dutifully.

"Will do! And you put your feet up, Cas!" Castiel rolled his eyes. But maybe he would do just that. There were a lot of things for him to think about. He lay back down and looked up at the ceiling. The early evening light shone through the window in which Castiel had placed the Winchesters' gift.

The penis shaped good luck charm threw a big shadow on the wall. Castiel burst out laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this installment! I would love to hear what you think and what else you would like to see in the next installment(s).
> 
> ♥


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